Josef Menapace

Josef Menapace
Born	31 July 1920 Linz
Died	6 October 1943(1943-10-06) (aged 23) Pripjet Marshes
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–43
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	SG 1
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Josef Menapace (31 July 1920 – 6 October 1943) was a highly decorated Hauptmann in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career he flew 723 missions. Josef Menapace was killed on 6 October 1943 when his plane crashed into the Pripjet Marshes after being hit by anti-aircraft fire.

Awards and decorations

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "700"
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold (4 February 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 August 1942 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 7./Schlachtgeschwader 1

References

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6. CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945